Surprise
by Eowyn77
Summary: Carlisle is taken by surprise by two visitors -- Alice and Jasper.
1. An Unexpected Party

Author's Note: I wrote this story in response to a challenge from darthistar: Write Alice's and Jasper's arrival from Carlisle's POV. This story is the result. I hope you enjoy!

I'm indebted to Katiebug5 for letting use a cameo of Margaret and Frank from her story "The Language of the Blood." If you haven't read it, you're missing out. :)

* * *

When the doorbell rang, it surprised me, but it wasn't cause for alarm. Humans rarely wandered out to our house, but occasionally some traveling salesman or another stopped by. I placed a bookmark in my collection of Mark Twain's short stories and then Esme yelped in alarm.

_Our kind!_

Dashing to the living-room, I arrived in time to see a tall, blond male wrench what looked like a female vampire-child off my wife's neck. Before I could speak a word, though, a deep serenity filled me. This pair meant no harm. I raised an eyebrow at the thought. More likely, one of them was talented.

Rosalie still stood with her hand on the front door-knob, staring at the intruders in amazement, while Esme, still seated at the typewriter, took a slow, steadying breath. Keeping my eyes on the vampire couple in the middle of the room, I sidled around to Esme. "I'm fine," she said calmly.

"Knock it off, Jasper," the little female chimed, bouncing on her tiptoes excitedly. She was slight, under five feet, with an almost boyish cut of hair. "You're ruining the moment."

"No," the male called Jasper answered softly, glancing from me to Rosalie to Esme with wary eyes. Wary _tawny_ eyes! "I'm trying to keep them from attacking you."

"Pshaw!" the little one scoffed. "Them?" She bent to pick up a scattered collection of gift-wrapped boxes. "Emmett might have been a problem, but that's part of why we waited. I'd have to take Carlisle's arm off before _he'd_ do anything violent." Handing her stack of gifts to her companion, the little one took the top box and gracefully skipped over to me.

She solemnly passed me the present then met my gaze, her golden eyes bright. "I've waited for as long as I can remember to meet you, Carlisle. We've been looking for you for years."

I searched her eyes and found nothing but delight there. I'd never met her, never so much as heard rumor of her, and apparently she knew us intimately. "Who _are_ you?"

Her laughter sparkled. "I'm Alice."

"How do you know us?" Rosalie demanded, drifting to take a defensive stance beside Esme and me. "And how long have you been spying on us?"

Indeed. And how did they get close enough to watch us without us detecting them by sight or scent, not to mention Edward?

Alice laughed again, and the tension in the room dissipated. The male visibly relaxed. "It's a rather long story," he said.

"I have time," I answered evenly.

"Not enough of it," Alice cut in. "Doctor Harrison's wife undercooked their chicken. You'll need to cover his shift tonight."

"How..."

"Open the present," Alice interrupted. "Things will make more sense, then."

I met Esme's gaze, and she shrugged, so I pulled open the wrapping paper to reveal a cloth-bound copy of H.G. Well's _The Time Machine. _

"It's an autographed, first edition," she added proudly.

I stared at the title, lightly tracing the imprinting as I absorbed its significance. I was immensely pleased that, when I spoke, my voice was steady. "Do you mean to say you're a time traveler?"

"In a way," Alice answered. "I see things. Possibilities."

"The future," Jasper clarified.

"I saw you," she continued excitedly. "I don't know what happened before I became a vampire; I have no memory of my human life. The first thing I can remember was Jasper's face. The second was yours."

I was utterly speechless. Even three hundred years' experience didn't prepare me for a revelation like that. I stole a glance at Esme again, and she and Rosalie were openly staring at Alice. Jasper, however, was grinning widely.

"Oh! Here! These are for you," Alice said, breaking the awe-struck silence. Taking the next two boxes from her companion, she distributed them. "Esme. Rosalie."

"You first," Esme said to her daughter.

Still glancing curiously at Alice, Rosalie sat down on the couch and unwrapped her present to reveal a clothing gift-box. So far, the self-proclaimed psychic was doing well. Rosalie slit the tape with a fingernail and lifted the lid. White satin shimmered with intricate bead-work and seed-pearls. Rosalie lifted the garment and rose to her feet, holding it in front of her and appraising it with an expert eye. It was a wrap-around knee-length dress with spaghetti straps. "Is this...?"

"A Ciel Chapman," Alice all but squealed. "I wanted to give you something from Paris, but shipping takes so long and I wasn't sure when we would find you, and I couldn't give you something off of _last_ year's runway. But I thought that if she was good enough for Marylin Monroe, she'd be passable for you."

Rosalie's smile was eloquent as she held the dress up against her; Alice had obviously won her over.

"Go try it on," Esme encouraged with a laugh. "I can wait."

Rosalie dashed up to her bedroom, and Alice called after her, "The shoes you bought last August will match it perfectly!"

Every time Alice said something like that, revealing how well she knew us, I felt a little prickle at the base of my skull. Her talent was uncanny and not a little unnerving, even after living with Edward for so long. Edward's abilities were limited by ours. He could only perceive us in the present moment. Alice could apparently see everything.

Jasper smiled at Esme and me. "I know you have a thousand questions. Your curiosity is making me itch."

"Pardon?" Esme's eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're talented, as well?"

He ducked his head slightly. "My gift isn't anywhere near as impressive as Alice's. I can sense others' feelings."

"And influence them?" I guessed, my inexplicable serenity making sense now.

Jasper nodded. "I apologize for earlier. I don't like to be manipulative, but when a situation is dangerous... Well, I'm sure you can understand."

"Yes," I smiled. "I do. But Alice was right. We had no intention of harming you."

He grinned suddenly. "_You_ didn't."

"I heard that," Rosalie quipped, strutting into the room. The dress was splendid on her as she struck several catwalk poses. "So what do you think?"

"It's almost as beautiful as you, dear," Esme laughed. "Emmett will love it."

"Yes," Alice agreed. "He will."

That prickle again. "How does this work, your... sight?" If I understood it a bit better, perhaps it wouldn't seem so eerie.

"I have visions. At first they came randomly, snatches of actions and words. Over time, I learned how to summon the vision I wanted. And I can only see forward," she added, answering the question I was about to ask.

Esme seemed to be as unnerved as I. "How long have you been watching us?"

Alice's eyes danced. "Open your present."

Apparently none of these were random gifts, and I glanced curiously at the two packages still in Jasper's hands – Edward's and Emmett's.

Esme's package was tiny, and I correctly guessed it was a jewelry box. She opened the satin lid to reveal a golden locket. Holding it by the chain, she slowly lifted it from the box, her eyes wide.

"Open it," Alice encouraged, a smug smile on her lips.

Inside was a sepia of a man and woman, his arm around her shoulder. An inscription opposite the picture said, "Love you forever." Esme became still as stone and stared at the picture for several minutes. By her reaction, I almost thought it was a picture of her former husband, but the woman in the picture wasn't Esme. They looked enough alike that they could have passed for sisters, though.

"Where did you find this?" she finally breathed.

"At a pawn shop in Indianapolis in 1939. She didn't part with it willingly."

"Who?" Rosalie demanded.

"Margaret," Esme whispered, still drinking in the image in the locket. "It's her, and her husband Frank." Tearing her gaze away from picture, Esme looked at Alice in awe. "I was still human, then, when Margaret came to my rescue."

"I was still learning how to use my talent, but I had flashes of you. Carlisle was part of my future, so you were, too. I recognized her in the photo."

"Is she still – "

"I'm not sure. Humans are harder to see. I can try, though."

Was she planning on holding a séance or whatever right here and now? The image of us seated around an occult, candle-lit table holding hands and chanting was too ridiculous to consider. To my relief, she merely closed her eyes, her face going still. After a moment, she opened them again. "It will take some time, I'm afraid." She grinned at me then. "But our time is up."

The phone rang.

This time the prickle crept over the top of my scalp to my hairline. I picked up the receiver. "Cullen residence, Carlisle speaking."

"Hi Carlisle, it's Len. I hate to do this to you on your day off, but John Harrison has food poisoning. Would you be able to cover the first half of his shift tonight?"

I knew every other person in the room could hear my boss as clearly as I could. "That won't be a problem, Len. I can be there in half an hour."

"Thanks, Carlisle. See you then."

"Bye."

"Don't worry," Alice said after the connection cut on the other end. "You'll beat Edward and Emmett home." Her smile widened. "Because you don't want to miss them opening _their_ presents."

I dropped the receiver back into its place, still more than a little stunned. "I'm sure I don't."


	2. A LongExpected Party

I hesitated by the coat rack. Alice was telling Esme and Rosalie how she managed to afford all these gifts: gambling winnings. It made me realize how poorly I knew our visitors, and here I was leaving my wife and Rosalie alone with them. I wouldn't have agreed to cover Dr. Harrison's shift if Alice hadn't suggested I would, which made me doubt them all the more. They timed their arrival perfectly to catch our family divided and scattered. Of course, if Alice and Jasper had waited another half hour to come, Esme and Rosalie would have been completely alone and even more off-guard and defenseless. I wasn't a suspicious person by nature, but this was my wife and daughter I was placing in potential jeopardy, and I admit I was unsettled by Alice's abilities. Prejudiced.

Jasper glanced over his shoulder, catching my gaze, and smiled slightly. Then he walked over to me. "Can I have a word with you before you leave?"

Jasper must be almost as perceptive as Edward, and no doubt he was sensing my worry. "Certainly." The women's conversation died as their attention turned to Jasper and me.

"You're concerned for the others' safety," Jasper stated.

There was no point in pretending otherwise. "Yes."

"Alice tells me your family has no secrets."

Again, it was a statement. _Your family_ didn't escape my notice, either. Every other vampire we'd ever met called us a coven. "That's true."

Jasper slowly began rolling up his jacket sleeve. "I'll keep no secrets from you either, Carlisle."

The skin of his forearm was broken and marred by countless scars. Battle scars. "You're from the South," I whispered.

Rosalie hissed in horror.

"Yes," he answered softly. "I left, stole away. I grew sick of the killing. So many..." He paused. "I came north with some friends. But even here, I had to kill to survive." His amber eyes warmed. "Alice showed me another way to hunt. It's a life she learned from observing you."

Unseen eyes had watched us, scrutinized us for decades, and what they learned had won over the both of them. Again, I was speechless.

"I'll save my full story for when Edward and Emmett are here. It's not a tale I'm fond of telling. I'm not as... strong as Alice when it comes to... my diet, but I'm willing to make the effort." He smiled at the turmoil I felt — bewilderment, fading alarm, growing respect.

"You've been the head of our coven from its beginning," Jasper continued, "even though you were unaware of it. You have nothing to fear from us."

"Why have you come?" I guessed the answer before I even asked the question, but I needed to hear it, needed to _know_, before I left Esme behind with this quiet, scarred warrior and his mind-boggling mate.

"May I show you?" Jasper extended his hand.

Hesitantly, I reached out and clasped it. Joy. Hope. Acceptance. A sense of belonging that reached to the bedrock of my being. The lift of shared burdens and purpose.

"Alice's feelings," Jasper explained. "She felt this way after every vision of you. If you were in our place, wouldn't you wish to spend forever in such a state?" He lowered his voice. "Wouldn't you make any sacrifice to let your mate feel that way?"

"Of course." I nodded, my hand falling to my side. "Of course. You're both welcome to stay."

Alice squealed and threw her arms around Esme again. This time, Esme held her tightly in return.

Leaning away, Alice looked from me to Esme. "Which room can I have?"

* * *

I called Esme from work during a quiet moment to see how they were faring. Esme laughed at me for being so concerned. "Alice is a delight, and Jasper is so unassuming. You're gallant to fret, but it's really quite unnecessary."

From the sound of things, Esme was pleased to no end. And why wouldn't she be? She'd just adopted two more children, without the troublesome newborn stage to bother with. "Well I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself, all the same."

There was laughter in the background — Alice and Rosalie — and I could hear the smile in Esme's voice. "Will you be coming home soon?"

Her smile was infectious, even over the phone. "Yes. Dr. Blevins will be here in a little less than an hour to take the rest of the shift."

"Good. Oh! The delivery truck is here, I'd better go."

"Delivery truck?"

"I'll explain later. Hurry home."

"I'll be there soon," I promised, uncertain whether I was more amused or amazed. Whatever was happening, I was sure it was Alice's doing.

* * *

The house was obviously recuperating from chaos when I arrived home. An empty furniture delivery truck sat forlornly in the middle of the driveway. The drive was wide enough for two cars to pass, but with the truck in the middle, I couldn't drive around it without ruining the lawn, so I just parked the car and walked up to the house through the misting rain. Esme was directing traffic as humans hauled the last couple of boxes up the stairs. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and Esme chuckled.

"Just there, in the corner." Alice's voice carried from one of the bedrooms.

"Edward's room?" I asked.

Alice came skipping down the stairs at a human pace, followed by the four-man moving crew. "It has the best view." Then to the humans, "Thank you, boys."

The one with "Mark" on his name-tag bobbed his head to Alice. "Our pleasure, miss." Then they shuffled out, with a glance or two over their shoulders. I shut the door behind them.

Esme sighed in relief. All that lifting and hauling got those humans' hearts pumping, and the house was full of their rich scent. She crossed to a window and threw it open.

"Where are Jasper and Rosalie?" I wondered, hanging up my hat and jacket.

"In the garage, just to be safe," Alice answered. "Besides, Rosalie couldn't wait to get her hands on our car."

Jasper came in then, his eyes bright when they rested on his mate. "So, what now?"

"Now comes the hard part," Alice sighed. "I want my presents to be a surprise, even for Edward. They'll be within his hearing-range in just a few minutes. I'll start unpacking — before Edward has a chance to complain — and you can all keep him occupied with thoughts about us." She winked at me, then dashed up the stairs with Jasper.

"Do you think she'll actually surprise him?" I asked Esme, taking her hand and pulling her onto the couch beside me.

She shook her head in doubt, but added, "If anyone can, it will be her. She's almost a force of nature."

I laughed and drew Esme closer. In a low voice, I said, "You seem fond of them."

"I am."

"I'm sorry I didn't consult you about my decision to let them stay."

She rested her head on my shoulder. "Rosalie and I both felt what Jasper showed you, and my answer would have been yours. 'Of course.'"

"Thank you. You're very forgiving." I kissed her brow, and she sighed contentedly.

After a moment, she said, "I'm afraid I'll need to hunt after the dust has settled."

"I'll come with you."

Her eyes sparkled. "I'd enjoy that."

The back door slammed open, and Edward strode into the room, his face livid. "Why are the contents of my bedroom in the garage?"

"Because we don't have a spare room," Esme said evenly. "We have some visitors --"

"Alice and Jasper," he cut her off sharply. "Yes, I know. But why _my_ room?"

Rosalie and Emmett followed him in, Rosalie wiping her delicate hands with a shop rag. "Because I wasn't giving up _ours_. Yours is the only room that doesn't already have double-occupancy."

Edward grimaced but seemed to be calming down. Of course, Alice and Jasper coming down the stairs might have had something to do with that. Alice skipped over to him, a present in hand. "Hi Edward! This is for you."

He accepted the gift, his expression puzzled. "Thanks."

Alice laughed with pleasure. "Go on, open it."

He tore open the paper, and her words spilled out on a rush. "I had to think long and hard about what to get you, because you and I, well I'm sure you can understand why having a talented brother would make for a unique relationship, and I wanted to start off on the right foot."

Edward's present was a View-Master. Esme and I exchanged a bewildered glance, but Edward was obviously not surprised.

"It's a three-dimensional viewer," Alice babbled on. "Have you ever used one? They're quite amazing, giving you another whole dimension to enjoy."

Edward cocked his head, as though listening to something in the distance, and Alice's monologue took on a more determined tone. "I found it when we were out shopping one day — took one look and thought, there's the present for Edward. The reel is of the Grand Canyon. You haven't ever been there, have you? It's a awe-inspiring place. You put the viewer up to your eyes, like a pair of binoculars." Her eyes were tight with desperation now. "Go on, try it!"

Edward scrutinized her pleading expression for a moment, then looked through the viewer. Alice's face went still like when she had tried to "see" Margaret earlier. His eyebrows lifted in shock and his jaw dropped. "WHOA!" He jerked the View-Master away.

Alice broke out in pealing giggles and clapped her hands in delight.

"_What_ was that?" Edward gasped, staring at her.

Emmett snatched the viewer from Edward. "Did she give you a girly reel?" He glanced through it, and Rosalie punched his arm with a thunderous crack. Emmett shrugged and handed it to her. "Nope, just the Grand Canyon."

Alice fought for composure. "That, my dear brother, is what you and Emmett will be doing this evening."

"I gathered that," Edward answered, still staggered. "I just... didn't expect to _see_ it."

Alice's laughter bubbled up again, and I finally understood. "Edward can see your visions."

Esme put her arm around her newest daughter, chuckling. "And you managed to surprise him with it? I'm impressed, dear."

Alice nodded. "I had to have a decoy, something else to focus on."

"So will I buy it?" Edward wondered.

"Buy what?" I cut in.

"That coupe Edward's been eying," Emmett answered. "While we were out hunting, I talked him in to going for a test-drive tonight."

Alice shook her head. "_I'll_ be the one buying, if you decide you want it. I can't see that, though, until you make the decision. The future isn't like the past. It changes when people change their minds. Which brings me to your present, Emmett."

Jasper handed it to her, and she all but danced over to Emmett, looking ridiculously small beside him. A small envelope was taped to it, the only package that had one. He smiled in genuine pleasure when he accepted the gift. "Thanks, Alice!"

"Open the card first," Esme prompted.

Chagrined, Emmett opened the envelope and pulled out a baseball card. "Dick William's rookie card? A _Dodger_? What kind of seer are you?"

Alice's smile was sly. "You'll find out in a few years. Now open the box."

Emmett enthusiastically ripped off the paper, and pulled the top off the box to reveal a baseball bat with the Boston Red Sox logo on it. "Now that's more like it," he muttered. He hefted it, grinning, and eyed Alice. "Is this a challenge?"

"An invitation," she corrected. "I can see the weather with much greater accuracy than people; there aren't any decisions involved. So I can tell when conditions are right for a game."

At the word "game," Emmett's eyes lit up. "Well when can we play, then?" He sized up Jasper briefly.

She hesitated, and Edward gawked at her again. "Thursday evening," she declared.

"But your ability to see weather changes is useful for far more than games," I speculated aloud. Three hundred years of dodging sunbeams — her gift would have made my life so much easier.

She bobbed her head, and I shook mine in amazement. _Edward? I've already invited them to stay, but that was without you here to evaluate them. What do you think?_

"I'm not staying in the garage." He playfully narrowed his eyes at Alice, then shrugged. "But we can build an addition."


End file.
